Time-recorder.



No. 738,350. PAT'E'NTED SEPT. 8, 1903.1

1A.: N. PALMER &. W'. W. KIMBALL.

- TIME ,REGOR'DER,

APPLIOATION'FILED DBO. 9, 1902] H0 MODEL.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1- WITNESSES;

a4 T TORNE Y No. 738,350.. PATENTED SEPT. 12, 1903. A. N. PALMER v& W.W. KIMBALL. TIME RECORDER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 9, 1902 H0 MODEL. 7 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: 7 M Q INV TORS I 7 1 I BY 04 TTORNE Y.

,, No. 738,350; I PATBNTED SEPT 8,1903.

A. PALMER 6: W. w. KIMBALL.

TIME RECORDER.

APPLICATION-FILED M10. 9, 1902.

K0 MODEL. a SHEETS-SHEET s.

WITME'SSES: I 3 gm Z W I BYMQ -2 UNITED STATES Tatented September 8,1903.

P T NT OEEIGE. Y

ANSON N. PALMER AND W LLIAM W. KIMBALL, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORSTO SYRACUSE TIMERECORDER COMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATIONOF NEW YORK.

TIME-RECORDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 738,350, datedSeptember 8, 1903.

. Application filed December 9,1902. Serial No. 134,465. (No model..

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that we, ANSON N. PALMERand W'ILLIAM W. KIMBALL, both ofSyracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York,haveinvented new and'useful Improvements in Time-Recorders, of which thefollowing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is afull, clear, and exact description. I

to This invention relates to improvements in Workmens time-recorders,and refers more particularly to the printing mechanism for recordingupon a suitable record-sheet the time of arrival and departure of theworkmen. In this class of devices the record-sheet is provided with acolu mu of employee-designating characters,usually the numerals l, 2, 3,650., and with a series of parallel blank spaces having the usualheadings In and and Out, the time of arrival of each employee beingprinted after his particular number in the columns designated by theheadings In or Out. This printing mechanism is similar tothat set forthin our pending application, Serial No. 75,023, filed September 11, 1901,in which a rotary type-wheel is mounted to move axially across the faceof the platen.

The object of the present invention is to move this type-wheel axiallyby automatic means, such as the clock mechanism which is employed torotate the type-wheel.

Another object is to provide means for centering and holding theprinting-type at the 3 5 printing-point to prevent its vibration duringthe operation of printing.

Referring to the drawings, Figuresl, 2, and 3 are respectively a sideelevation and top and inverted plan views of the printing 4o mechanism,embodying the various features of our invention. Fig. 4 is a detail viewof the automatic means for shifting the position of the type-wheelaxially. Fig. 5 is a face View of the time-printing wheels and thecentering and holding device shown in its normal or inoperativeposition. Fig. 6 is a similar face view of a fragmentary portion of thetype-wheel and the centering and holding device in its operativeposition. plan of the mechanism seen in Fig. 6.

Fig. 7 is a top Fig.

8 is a perspective View of a fragmentary portion of the type-wheel,showing the laterally projecting stops or pins. Fig. 9 is a perspectiveview of the holding-pawls,one of the pawls being broken away.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

A ti inc-printing wheel 1 is feathered upon a clock-rotated spindle 2 tomove transversely of a suitable platen 3, and is provided with a seriesof laterally-projecting stops or pins 4, which are adapted to be engagedby centering-pawls 5 and 6 to hold the type-wheel from rotary movementor vibration during the operation of printing upon the record-sheetsecured to the platen. The spindle 2is connected by a universal coupling7 to a clock mechanism 8, whereby rotary motion is imparted to thespindle and also tothe type- I Wheel 1. One section of this spindle ismounted upon one end of a forked rock-arm 9,which is fulcrumedintermediate its ends at 10, the other end of the arm being connected toa reciprocally-movable bar 11, by which the forked arm is rocked formoving the spindle and the type-wheel carried thereby toward and fromthe platen 3 in the operation of printing upon the record-sheet. Thisrock arm 9 is mounted upon fixed upright standards 12, which rise from asupporting-frame 13,and serves to hold the forked arm from endwisemovement with reference to the axis of the type-wheel.

The type-wheel 1 is usually formed with a laterally-projecting hub orsleeve 15, upon which is loosely mounted a depending arm 16, carrying asecond type-wheel 17 of much smaller diameter than the type-wheel 1, but

type-wheel l and adapted to engage successively at each revolution oneof a series of pins 19, projecting laterally from the typewheel 17, sothat at each revolution of the type-wheel 1 corresponding to one hour oftime the type-wheel 17 is moved one typespace.

The mechanism thus far described is simi lar to that set forth in ourpending application above referred to, and this description is believedto clearly disclose the construction and manner of operation.

The frame 13 is provided with transverse ways 22, arranged parallel withthe axis of the type-wheel 1, and upon which is mounted a slidingsupport 23, carrying an upwardlyprojecting arm 24, which is engaged withthe hub 15 of the type-wheel 1 in such manner as to move the type-wheelback and forth along the spindle as the support is operated along theways 22. The means for reciprocating this support along the waysconsists of a rock-arm 25, which is fulcrumed at and its free end isconnected by a link 26 to the lower face of the sliding support 23, thearm 24 being adapted to rock horizontally and is provided with acircularrack 27, which meshes with a similar rack 28, formed upon alever 29, this lever being fulcrumed intermediate its ends at 30 to afixed support 31, which forms a part of the frame 13.

, A spring 32 is secured to the fulcrumof the rock-arm 25, and one endis engaged with a lug 33 upon said arm in such manner that the springoperates to move the sliding support 23 in one direction, and thereforetransmits motion through the medium of the toothed racks 27 and 28 tothe lever 29. This lever is provided with a stud 37, which is heldagainst the face of a rotary cam 38, said cam being rotated by the clockmechanism 8 through the medium of rotary shafts 34 and 35 andintermeshing gears 36, one of the shafts, 35, being connected by gears39 to the hour-hand-driving spindle of the clock mechanism. A portion ofthe cam-face 38 is arranged to permit a gradual movement of thetype-wheels across the face of the platen and may be either a continuousincline or a stepby-step arrangement, as seen in the drawings, anotherportion of the cam-face being arranged to operate the levers 29 and 25against the action of the spring 32 to return the sliding support 23 andtype-wheels to their normal starting positions, the rotation of the cambeing so timed as to move the typewheels from their starting positionacross the face of the platen and back again once in twenty-four hours,although it is apparent that the period of time for effecting thismovement may be changed without departing from the spirit of thisinvention. The

purpose of shifting these type-wheels transversely of the platen, asjustdescribed, is to permit a series of impressions to be made at regular orirregular periods of time after each employeedesi gn atin g characterupon the record-sheet to indicate the time of arrival and departure ofthe employees under the headings In and Out.

The essential feature of novelty in the mechanism thus far describedconsists in the automatic shifting of the type-wheels transversely ofthe platen as controlled by the clock-actuated cam 38 and spring 32, itbeing evident that, if desired, this spring 32 may be dispensed with,and the movement of the levers 24 and 29 may be controlled entirely bythe cam 38.

Mounted upon the sliding support 23 is the pawl 5, which is fulcrumedintermediate its ends at 43, its inner end being provided with ahook-shaped shoulder 44, adapted to interlock with one of the stops4 ofthe type-wheel 1 when said inner end is rocked downwardly to theposition seen in Fig. 6.

Pivotally mounted upon the pawl 5, between the fulcrum 43 and shoulder'44, is a second pawl 6, which is also adapted to engage one of thestops 4 as the pawl 5 is depressed to slightly shift the type-wheel andprevent the shoulder 44 from striking the points of the stops when thepawls descend. The engaging faces of these pawls 5 and 6 are arranged toengage opposite faces of adjacent stops, the pawl 6 being first toengage one of the stops and move the type-wheel so that the shoulder 44readily enters between two adjacent stops, and by the continued downwardmovement of these pawls the engaging end of the loose pawl approachesthe shoulder 44, and thereby impinges the stops between the engagingfaces of the pawls and firmly holds the type-wheel from vibratory rotarymovement.

We preferably employ the same means for operating the pawl 5 androck-arm 9 as that set forth in our pending application above referredto, and have therefore shown only a portion of such operating mechanism,consisting of a rotary cam 45, which is actuated by a rack and pinion46, the periphery of the cam engaging a stud or roller 47 upon an arm48, and an eccentric-pin 49, secured to the rotary member 45,-and ridesin a bifurcated end of the rod 11, so that as the-member is rotated therods 11 and 48 are simultaneously elevated, the elevation of the rod 11operating to force the type-wheel to its printing position, and theelevation of the rod 48 simultaneously rocks the pawls 5 and 6 intoengagement with the stops 4.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1, In a printing mechanism for time-recorders, the combination of aclock-rotated spindle, a type-Wheel feathered on the spindle, andautomatic means to move the type-wheel along the spindle.

2. .In a printing mechanism for time-record ers, the combination of aclock-rotated spindle, a type-wheel feathered on the spindle, and meansactuated by the clock mechanism for shifting the type-wheel axially onthe spindle.

3. In aprinting mechanism for time-recorders, the combination of aplaten, a rock-arm, a clock-rotated spindle carried by the arm, a typewheel feathered on the spindle, and means for automatically shifting thetype- Wheel axially irrespective of the rocking movement of the arm.

4:. In a printing mechanism for time-recorders, the combination with aplaten, asupport movable transversely of the platen, automatic means formoving the support, aclock-rotated spindle movable toward and from theplaten, a type-wheel feathered on the spindle and means for transmittingmotion from the support to the type-Wheel.

5. A printing mechanism for time-recorders including a platen, aclock-rotated spindle, a rocking support for the spindle, a typewheelfeathered on the spindle, a sliding support connected to move thetype-Wheel along the support, and automatic means to actuate the slidingsupport.

6. In a printing mechanism, the combination with a type-wheel havinglateral stops, of two pawls operating against the stops to center andhold the type at the printingpoint, and means to actuate the pawls, oneof the pawls acting to move the type-Wheel to register the spacesbetween the stops with the engaging end of the other pawl.

7. A printing mechanism for time-recorders including a clock-rotatedtype-Wheel, stops projecting from the wheel, and pawls movable into andout of engagement with the stops for temporarily locking the type-wheelfrom rotation, one of the pawls being pivoted to the other.

8. In a printing mechanism for time-recorders in combination with arotary type-wheel movable axially, a centering and holding deviceoperable to hold the Wheel from rotary movement, and automatic meansconnected to move the type-wheel and said device axi- 5 ally of thetype-Wheel.

9. In a printing mechanism for time-recorders, the combination with aplaten, a rotary type-Wheel movable axially and toward and from theplaten, a centering and holding device for the type-wheel, automaticmeans connected to shift the type-wheel and said device axially of thetype-Wheel, and means connected to operate the centering and holdingdeviceand to move the type-wheel toward the platen. I

10. In a time recorder, the combination with a platen, of aclock-rotated spindle movable toward and from the platen, a type- .wheelfeathered on the spindle to move trans- 6o versely of and toward andfrom the platen, a sliding support connected to shift the typewheelaxially on the spindle, and automatic means for moving the slidingsupport.

11. In a time -recorder, the combination with a platen, of aclock-rotated spindle movable toward and from the platen, a typewheelfeathered on the spindle to move transversely of and toward and from theplaten, a sliding support connected to shift the typewheel axially onthe spindle, a device carried by the sliding support to center and holdthe type-wheel from rotary vibration during the act of printing, meansconnected to si- 111 ultaneously operate said device and to move thetype-wheel toward the platen, and automatic means for moving thetype-wheel axially.

In witness whereof We have hereunto set our hands this 6th day ofDecember, 1902.

ANSON N. PALMER. WILLIAM W. KIMBALL.

Witnesses:

HOWARD P. DENISON, MILDRED M. Nor'r.

